Terre a TR, 41100 Vendome

Fancy eating in a hole in a wall?  No, not in Bath, but in a cave hewed out of the cliffs just outside Vendome,  and if your first reaction is “must be like eating in an air raid shelter” fear not.  The room is pleasant and welcoming –  the walls have just been whitewashed but otherwise nothing has been touched apart from the installation of a welcoming fire.. The room is well lit, with simple but attractive tables and a well-stocked bar.   See map

The Menu du Jour is an excellent deal – 16 euros for 2 courses, a glass of perfectly acceptable plonk and a coffee – somewhat different from London prices… Straightforward cooking with no faldoral – I  chose the 3 course 20 euros menu, starting with excellent smoked salmon, followed by a boudin blanc served on a bed of mashed potatoes . My friend, who ate a la carte, started with scallops accompanied by a cheese raclette with smoked ham and then a main course of  deer stew with home made gnocchi,  all of which he pronounced to be delicious, and again at very reasonable prices. The desserts, which come included in the 20 Euro menu, were fine, if not over-imaginative. The wines by the bottle are mostly the local Coteaux du Vendomois, which are  excellent but not very well known wines made from Chenin and Cot grapes.

The service is efficient and friendly  and at Christmas-time the restaurant offers a selection of home made boudin blanc, foie gras and other seasonal dishes, packed and ready for you to take back to your own cave!

To use one of the restaurant ratings used by my family, it was defintely VFM (Value For Money)!

Vendome is an unspoilt, authentic town, with some well-hidden, beautiful old houses and is mostly undiscovered by tourists.   On Fridays there’s a covered market in the centre of town and the Church of the Trinite contains some striking frescoes. The TGV comes down to Vendome from Paris in 40 minutes, so it is really the ideal destination for a day trip.